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A mix of icy roads, speed and driving too close to other vehicles all contributed to the massive pileup on Deerfoot Trail Friday morning.

Ten people were sent to hospital in an eight-car crash that closed down two lanes of the busy roadway for six hours as police investigated.

"Seven of those vehicles are probably going to be writeoffs. Severe damage," said traffic section Sgt. Bob Pughe. "There was airbag deployment on every one of them. It was a nasty scene. A lot of carnage spilled out over the highway."

Police say a Nissan was going south on Deerfoot in the right lane when the driver lost control and went into the left lane where he was t-boned by a van.

"Once their vehicles came to a rest, six other vehicles piled into them as nobody could stop on the icy roads," said Pughe.

"Road conditions were definitely a factor as well as speed."

A total of 16 people were involved in the multi-vehicle crash on Deerfoot Trail at 24th Street S.E. shortly before 6 a.m. Friday.

"Nine of those patients were transported in stable, non-life threatening condition with minor injuries," said EMS spokesman Adam Loria.

"One patient, a male in his thirties, was transported in critical life-threatening condition," said Loria, referring to the Nissan driver.

"There were another six (people) that were uninjured but were involved in the crash."

They stayed warm in a Calgary Transit bus.

Pughe said drivers need to slow down, especially in this weather.

"They obviously were driving too close to each other. These six vehicles that crashed into each other were all severely damaged. All high speed. There was no minor bumps on these vehicles. Everybody was travelling at highway speeds on the icy roads," said Pughe.

One lane was left open during the investigation, but the left and centre lane were shut for six hours.

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